The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign requires that all undergraduate students study a "language other than English" (LOTE) through either the third or the fourth level, depending on your academic program and College. This is a General Education requirement.

For non-native speakers of English, it means the following:

• Most programs in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and some programs in the College of Fine & Applied Arts require that you successfully complete four years of studying your native language at the upper secondary level (senior high school). If this is not marked on your UIUC record, you will need to demonstrate fourth-level proficiency once you come to campus. Completing two different LOTEs through the third level of each can also fulfill the fourth-level requirement.
• For other Colleges and programs, you are required to successfully complete three years of studying your native language at the upper secondary level (senior high school). If this is not marked on your UIUC record, you will need to demonstrate third-level proficiency once you come to campus.
• If you are entering the Division of General Studies, you should follow the requirements of the College that you intend to transfer to.

Did you complete at least one full academic year in a high school where you studied all of your subjects in a language other than English? If so, you can ask the Office of Undergraduate Admissions to review your high school transcript for Gen Ed LOTE fulfillment. See Option #1 in our Options for Satisfying the General Education Language Requirements document.

Otherwise, if you begin your studies at Illinois without having fulfilled the General Education language requirement, either you must take a LOTE placement exam and enroll in the appropriate course(s) until you complete the level that is required by your College and program of studies, or you must take a LOTE proficiency exam to demonstrate your command of the language.

The language proficiency exam that you take must assess at least reading and writing abilities. If you pass a proficiency exam at the appropriate level in your native language, you will fulfill your General Education LOTE requirement. You will not necessarily earn academic credit. You should consult with your academic advisor if you have questions about earning credit towards graduation or about fulfilling any of the Gen Ed requirements.

Learn more about ways to satisfy the Gen Ed language requirement and/or about testing in some of the commonly studied languages.

Testing is also offered in nearly 40 other, less commonly studied languages. Contact the professor to get more information and/or to make an appointment for testing.